Movies Like The Secret World of the Very Young

If you liked The Secret World of the Very Young (1984), a family movie directed by Sterling Johnson, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Cadet Kelly (2002)
★ 6.2/10Also family
Hyperactive teenager Kelly is enrolled into a military school when her new stepfather becomes the Commandant. At first she has problems fitting in and taking orders until she tries out for the drill team.
2
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also family
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
3
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
★ 6/10Also family
When a celebrated TV show host returns to his hometown in the South, his family is there to remind him that going home is no vacation!
4
Rookie of the Year (1993)
★ 6.2/10Also family
When the cast comes off his once broken arm, a 12-year-old boy can throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, and the Chicago Cubs want him as their new pitcher.
5
Chang Can Dunk (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also family
Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the…
6
PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also family
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
7
Make Mine Music (1946)
★ 5.8/10Also family
In the tradition of Fantasia, Make Mine Music is a glorious collection of musically charged animated shorts featuring such fun-filled favorites as "Peter and the Wolf", narrated by the beloved voice behind Winnie the…
8
Recess: All Growed Down (2003)
★ 6.5/10Also family
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
9
The Air Up There (1994)
★ 6.1/10Also family
Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach who wants a big promotion. To get it, he needs to make a dramatic find. He ends up deep in Africa, hoping to recruit Saleh, a huge basketball prodigy Jimmy glimpsed in a home…
10
Little Big League (1994)
★ 6/10Also family
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take…
11
Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018)
★ 6.7/10Also family
As Bright Fields preps for its Mistletoe Ball, a broken ornament leads Zoe to a family secret, while Gaby finds herself at the mercy of new boss Mia.
12
Love Don't Co$t a Thing (2003)
★ 7.7/10Also family
A high school outcast pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool.
13
Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale (2017)
★ 6.6/10Also family
After tumbling into a magic storybook, Puss in Boots must fight, dance and romance his way through wild adventures as he searches for an escape.
14
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also family
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the…
15
The Longshots (2008)
★ 6.5/10Also family
The true story of Jasmine Plummer who, at the age of eleven, became the first female to play in Pop Warner football tournament in its 56-year history.
16
The Loud House Movie (2021)
★ 7.2/10Also family
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
17
Sneakerella (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also family
When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity…
18
Shorts (2009)
★ 5.9/10Also family
A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.
19
The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania (2017)
★ 7.7/10Also family
Blast off to adventure in this animated feature where our favorite space-age family, The Jetsons, meet the superstars of WWE! When George unearths WWE’s Big Show, who has been frozen for 100 years, the futuristic…
20
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999)
★ 6.8/10Also family
After Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit see Christopher Robin making a valentine for -- gasp! -- a girl, they find he's been bitten by a "Smitten" and is lovesick! Worried that he'll no longer have time for them, and…